BY EMEKA AGINAM
As the Kenyan government confirms 30th March, 2015 as the schedule date for migrating from analogue to digital terrestrial television, the Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA, Tom Phillips has said that the development signals growth potentials for the country’s market.

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors
With this development, Kenya has demonstrated a clear commitment to meeting the migration deadline of June 2015.

According to him, “The GSMA congratulates the Government of Kenya and the Communications Authority of Kenya on finalising the schedule for the country’s much-anticipated digital switchover1.

“With all three phases to be completed by 30 March 2015, Kenya’s announcement demonstrates a clear and welcome commitment to meeting the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) global digital migration deadline of 17 June 2015.

“The switchover from analogue to digital television allows more efficient use of a limited resource and frees up precious 700MHz and 800MHz spectrum bands, otherwise known as the Digital Dividend.

This lower frequency spectrum delivers excellent geographic coverage and will be a key enabler for the provision of universal mobile broadband access.

“Unique mobile subscriber penetration2 in Kenya is currently 40 per cent, which means that more than half of the country is still unconnected.

“ The availability of Digital Dividend spectrum for mobile will make life-changing mobile services available to all Kenyans, including the three-quarters of the population who live in rural areas3, as well as provide substantial economic benefits and new opportunities for digital entrepreneurship.

“Kenya and Tanzania, which has almost completed its digital switchover, are leading the way in East Africa in bringing the benefits of the digital transition to their citizens.

“We hope that other countries in the region will be inspired to follow the Government of Kenya’s example and determine their own digital migration plans in time for next year’s deadline.”

Meanwhile, latest statistics from GSMA indicate a sharp increase in mobile data traffic, while mobile penetration is predicted to reach 49% by 2020.
Meanwhile, migration from analogue to digital is cited as one of the leading issues affecting mobile operators in their goal to connect the largely unconnected population of sub-Saharan Africa.